Pirates to join league in 2014

Published: Tuesday, November 27, 2012 at 07:00 PM.

GREENVILLE
— It took years of trying and a tumultuous national environment, but
East Carolina
finally got its seat at the table.

The Pirates will depart Conference
USA
and join the Big East as a football-only member beginning in 2014, athletics director Terry Holland announced Tuesday.

Access to better bowl games, a larger revenue stream and a chance to renew old rivalries are some of the advantages listed by
Holland
to the move, which was facilitated by
Rutgers
’ departure from the Big East to join the Big Ten last week.

“We think we’ll add great value to the Big East, and we’re going to work very hard to make sure that we’re a great institutional member and a great football member of the Big East Conference,” ECU chancellor Steve Ballard said during a news conference. “This is a really good day for
East
Carolina
University
.”

ECU, which originally applied to join the Big East in September 2011, will become the league’s 14th member. The league’s football teams will range geographically from ECU in the east to
San Diego
State
in the west.

Holland
said efforts to find a conference for the school’s other 18 sports would begin immediately.

“That search will begin in earnest as soon as this press conference is over,”
Holland
said.

“It’s our intention to use this announcement today as a springboard to make sure that we find the very best competitive situations for all 19 of our sports.”

Current C-USA members
Central Florida
, Houston,
Memphis
and Southern Methodist will join the Big East beginning in 2013, along with
Temple
.
Boise
State
and
San Diego
State
will join and compete only in football. Navy will start Big East football play in 2015.

Big East commissioner Mike Aresco said the league’s TV contract is still being negotiated but contended that the move was the right one for ECU.

“The Big East has always been a conference of opportunity for new members, and the country will soon see more of
East Carolina
football and will appreciate its terrific program,” Aresco said.

Nick Floyd, ECU’s executive assistant AD, said ECU’s athletic officials were contacted by the Big East shortly after
Rutgers
left. Tuesday’s press conference came just 48 hours after the league’s initial official contact.

But the school’s efforts to join the Big East extended well beyond its unsuccessful application last fall, when a slew of conferences began to realign nationwide.

“No means no just at that point in time,” Floyd said. “You never give up in this business. We’re competitors. We stay after it, and we’re going to continue to compete and stay after it and do the things necessary to elevate our entire program.”

Ballard and
Holland
had been working to join the Big East since
Holland
’s arrival eight years ago.

“I’ve been working on the Big East since I was 10,” Ballard joked.

Replied
Holland
: “Seems like it.”

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GREENVILLE — It took years of trying and a tumultuous national environment, but East Carolina finally got its seat at the table.

The Pirates will depart Conference USA and join the Big East as a football-only member beginning in 2014, athletics director Terry Holland announced Tuesday.

Access to better bowl games, a larger revenue stream and a chance to renew old rivalries are some of the advantages listed by Holland to the move, which was facilitated by Rutgers’ departure from the Big East to join the Big Ten last week.

“We think we’ll add great value to the Big East, and we’re going to work very hard to make sure that we’re a great institutional member and a great football member of the Big East Conference,” ECU chancellor Steve Ballard said during a news conference. “This is a really good day for EastCarolinaUniversity.”

ECU, which originally applied to join the Big East in September 2011, will become the league’s 14th member. The league’s football teams will range geographically from ECU in the east to San DiegoState in the west.

Holland said efforts to find a conference for the school’s other 18 sports would begin immediately.

“That search will begin in earnest as soon as this press conference is over,” Holland said.

“It’s our intention to use this announcement today as a springboard to make sure that we find the very best competitive situations for all 19 of our sports.”

Current C-USA members Central Florida, Houston, Memphis and Southern Methodist will join the Big East beginning in 2013, along with Temple. BoiseState and San DiegoState will join and compete only in football. Navy will start Big East football play in 2015.

Big East commissioner Mike Aresco said the league’s TV contract is still being negotiated but contended that the move was the right one for ECU.

“The Big East has always been a conference of opportunity for new members, and the country will soon see more of East Carolina football and will appreciate its terrific program,” Aresco said.

Nick Floyd, ECU’s executive assistant AD, said ECU’s athletic officials were contacted by the Big East shortly after Rutgers left. Tuesday’s press conference came just 48 hours after the league’s initial official contact.

But the school’s efforts to join the Big East extended well beyond its unsuccessful application last fall, when a slew of conferences began to realign nationwide.

“No means no just at that point in time,” Floyd said. “You never give up in this business. We’re competitors. We stay after it, and we’re going to continue to compete and stay after it and do the things necessary to elevate our entire program.”

Ballard and Holland had been working to join the Big East since Holland’s arrival eight years ago.